▲ Linus H.E. von Castelmur

Dear fellow Swiss citizens living in Korea and friends of Switzerland,It gives me great pleasure to resume the Embassy’s monthly event calendar and forward it to you months after its halt. The novel COVID-19 has been exerting overwhelming influence on societies and economies of many countries around the world and has let no one untouched. The Swiss Embassy in Korea was no exception. Beginning this year, the unprecedented pandemic brought seminars, conferences and exhibitions in the pipeline to a delay or cancellation. And yet, amidst the confusion and anxiety and in order to have business continuity, we are now turning towards resilience and ever stronger desire for togetherness. In the spirit of our slogan Pushing the Limits 2.0 – Celebrating Swiss Excellence &Innovation in Korea, we are pushing against the fear and isolationism and adapting ourselves to the new normal. For the rest of this year, we will switch to webinars and virtual conferences in the fields of science &technology and trade &investment and would like to invite you to the digital arena. Not only in the virtual world, but with strict compliance with the COVID-19 etiquette, we will pay a tribute to the late Swiss actor Bruno Ganz and organize a retrospective of his films. A variety of movies directed by Swiss, French, Greek, Italian and UK filmmakers will be screened from 15 October to 1 November in Seoul Art Cinema, Jongno-gu, Seoul. From 1 to 9 November, the screening will take place in Gwangju Cinema, Dong-gu, Gwangju. I wish you will enjoy our up-to-date news and look forward to seeing you in digital, and hopefully in person as well, for many occasions.

Swiss-Korean Life Science Initiative

The Swiss-Korean Life Science Initiative (LSI) is a public-private platform aiming to foster interdisciplinary collaboration between medical doctors, scientists, start-ups and the private industry in Switzerland and Korea. The Initiative has been established through the signature of a MoU in 2016 between the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), and Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW). Under the LSI umbrella, Science & Technology Office of the Swiss Embassy in Seoul will present a series of digital events in the next few months. Below is an overview of the upcoming program and topics. Each event will take place through Zoom.

Open talk - Cell and Gene Therapy as paradigm shift in healthcare and treatment
Date: 22 October,10:00-11:30 AM (Korea) Registration here
- Global trend of cell and gene therapy development and innovation of those therapy
- How to improve access on Cell and Gene Therapy which has complexities in diagnosis, treatment, care and payment

Open talk - Precision Medicine: Progress and challenges
Date: 27 October, 3:00-4:30 PM (Korea) Registration here
- The accessibility of personalized healthcare of each country strongly depends on its ecosystem such as standardized medical data, data specialists, and governance issues: domestic laws and regulations.
- Current status of development of Precision Medicine ecosystem from Switzerland, Australia, Taiwan as well as Korea and the challenges and insight.

Webinar – Guides to Korean Ecosystem for Healthcare startups
Date: 24 November, 5:00 – 6:30 PM (Korea)
For registration, please contact: seoul.science@eda.admin.ch
- A journey through the Korean healthcare ecosystem and opportunities for Swiss startups

Swiss Digital Days - ‘Foodtech: How will we eat in the future?’

Date: 3 November, 8:30 pm (Korea)

The aim of Swiss Digital Days is to make digitization a tangible experience and promote dialogue on the subject. The programme encourages collaboration, new ways of thinking and vibrant debate on varied topics. The event ‘Foodtech: How will we eat in the future?’ aims to address the theme of the future of food under the bias of new technological frontiers, digitalisation and the environmental challenges that drive the development of new technologies in the digital and biotechnological field. To explore this theme and offer participants the opportunity to observe the paths that open up for the future of food three key topics will be highlighted: Agriculture System & Food, Technology & Food (alternative foods and new foods) and Food Waste. Groups are expected to discuss current status and main challenges of each topic, new technologies and model breakthroughs. The outcomes will result in a broad overview of the whole chain and emerging solutions, paving the way to new food production and consumption. If you want to register, please contact: seoul.science@eda.admin.ch

20 years Swissnex anniversary nex2020 event - Open Talk nex20 Lugano: Living Tomorrow

Date: 4 December, 9:00 – 10:30 PM Korea

For its 20th anniversary, the swissnex Network will engage researchers, entrepreneurs, and visionary leaders to imagine the role of Switzerland on the global stage in the next 20 years. Called nex20, the program will consist of five activities in different formats, across five themes and five cities in December, 2020. One of them is organized by Swissnex Brazil and Science and Technology Office Seoul. The event will feature a discussion with strategic partners and experts on how we will live in the future, with a focus on Architecture. For registration, please contact: seoul.science@eda.admin.ch

Tribute to Bruno Ganz
15 October – 1 November:
Seoul Art Cinema, Jongno-gu, Seoul
1 November – 9 November:
Gwangju Cinema, Dong-gu, Gwangju

The Embassy of Switzerland in Seoul pays tribute to the late Swiss actor Bruno Ganz who passed away in 2019. To commemorate him, the Embassy organized a retrospective of 14 films devoted to Bruno Ganz. A selection of many successful movies directed by Swiss, German, French, Greek, Italian and UK filmmakers will be presented to Korean audiences. During his long career, Bruno Ganz worked with internationally acclaimed filmmakers like Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders and Eric Rohmer and performed in more than 90 films. He received countless international awards including “Iffland Ring” from 1996 onwards acknowledging him as the most significant actor of German speaking theatre. In 2017 he was awarded with Honorary Swiss Film Award. 

Webinar: How to successfully export Swiss cosmetics to Korea?

Date: 17 November, 5:00 PM (Korea)

South Korea is stated to be one of the ten most powerful markets in the global cosmetics sector and a representative beauty industry trendsetter. The size of the Korean cosmetics market is estimated to be around 8 billion CHF. Amid the pandemic, it especially holds a high potential for Swiss natural cosmetics. The Swiss Business Hub Korea is organizing a webinar delivering general overview on the Korean cosmetic market, current trends, requirements for product registration & import processes, and various distribution channels. A business talk with an industry expert is also planned to provide insights and practical tips on export issues and cooperation with local agents. For registration, please send an e-mail to seoul.sbhkorea@eda.admin.ch with your name, company name, and e-mail address.

김종관 기자  powerkorea_j@naver.com